Insecticidal proteins and methods for their use

Abstract

Compositions and methods for controlling pests are provided. The methods involve transforming organisms with a nucleic acid sequence encoding an insecticidal protein. In particular, the nucleic acid sequences are useful for preparing plants and microorganisms that possess insecticidal activity. Thus, transformed bacteria, plants, plant cells, plant tissues and seeds are provided. Compositions are insecticidal nucleic acids and proteins of bacterial species. The sequences find use in the construction of expression vectors for subsequent transformation into organisms of interest including plants, as probes for the isolation of other homologous (or partially homologous) genes. The pesticidal proteins find use in controlling, inhibiting growth or killing Lepidopteran, Coleopteran, Dipteran, fungal, Hemipteran and nematode pest populations and for producing compositions with insecticidal activity.

That which is claimed: 
     
       1. An insecticidal polypeptide
 comprising an amino acid sequence having greater than 80% sequence identity compared to SEQ ID NO: 53, wherein the insecticidal polypeptide is fused in-frame with a heterologous signal peptide or transit peptide. 
 
     
     
       2. The insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 1 , wherein the insecticidal polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 53, SEQ ID NO: 58 or SEQ ID NO: 238. 
     
     
       3. An insecticidal polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having greater than 80% sequence identity compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 54, wherein the insecticidal polypeptide is fused in-frame with a signal peptide or transit peptide. 
     
     
       4. The insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 3 , wherein the insecticidal polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 54 or SEQ ID NO: 55. 
     
     
       5. An insecticidal composition comprising the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       6. An insecticidal composition comprising the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 1  and the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 3 . 
     
     
       7. A recombinant polynucleotide encoding an insecticidal polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having greater than 80% sequence identity compared to SEQ ID NO: 53, operably linked to a heterologous regulatory element. 
     
     
       8. A DNA construct comprising, the recombinant polynucleotide of  claim 7  and a heterologous regulatory sequence operably linked to the recombinant polynucleotide. 
     
     
       9. A recombinant polynucleotide encoding an insecticidal polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence having greater than 80% sequence identity compared to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 54, operably linked to a heterologous regulatory element. 
     
     
       10. A DNA construct comprising, the recombinant polynucleotide of  claim 9  and a heterologous regulatory sequence operably linked to the recombinant polynucleotide. 
     
     
       11. A transgenic plant or plant cell comprising the DNA construct of  claim 8 . 
     
     
       12. A transgenic plant or plant cell comprising the DNA construct of  claim 10 . 
     
     
       13. A method of inhibiting growth or killing an agricultural insect pest, comprising contacting the insect pest with an insecticidally-effective amount of the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 1 . 
     
     
       14. A method of inhibiting growth or killing an insect pest, comprising contacting the insect pest with an insecticidally-effective amount of the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 1  and the insecticidal polypeptide of  claim 3 . 
     
     
       15. A method of controlling Lepidoptera and/or Coleoptera insect infestation in a transgenic plant and providing insect resistance management, comprising expressing in the plant the polynucleotide of  claim 7 . 
     
     
       16. A method of controlling Lepidoptera and/or Coleoptera insect infestation in a transgenic plant and providing insect resistance management, comprising expressing in the plant the polynucleotide of  claim 8  and the polynucleotide of  claim 9 . 
     
     
       17. The method of any one of  claims 13 ,  14 , and  16 , wherein the insect pest or insect pest population is resistant to a Bt toxin.